What's Inside
This collection gathers sixty-one oral traditions from across the Philippine islands, organized into five distinct cultural groups including the Tinguian, Igorot, and the Wild Tribes of Mindanao. The narratives range from grand creation myths involving the Great Spirit Kadaklan to humorous fables about why the spider and fly are enemies. In these pages, a man might turn into a stone, a moon woman might be found shaping a copper pot, or a trickster named Juan might swap a basket of fruit for a nest of angry wasps. The stories act as a record of local rituals, hunting taboos, and the varied explanations for the natural world’s peculiarities.
Works & figures
- Kaboniyan
A servant of the Great Spirit who teaches humans to farm. (in “How the Tinguian Learned to Plant”)
- Aponitolau
A man who enlists his wife to plant sugar-cane. (in “The Story of Gaygayoma Who Lives up Above”)
- Magbangal
A hunter who clears land for planting against his wife's wishes. (in “Magbangal”)
- Lumabet
A child sent by the Great Spirit who could talk at birth. (in “Lumabet”)
- Bantugan
A hero whose father is the brother of earthquake and thunder. (in “The Story of Bantugan”)
- Juan
A mischievous boy who plays a prank with a wasp's nest. (in “Juan Gathers Guavas”)
What it's really about
- Divine Instruction
- Gods and spirits frequently intervene to teach essential survival skills.
- Animal Transformations
- Creatures often start as humans or gain traits through moral failings.
- The Cost of Haste
- Characters who rush or ignore advice usually lose their cargo.
Why it's memorable
- A man losing his entire horse-load of cocoanuts because he tried to travel too quickly.
- The Moon personified as a woman sitting in her yard shaping a pliable copper pot.
Where to start
Start with The Man with the Cocoanuts for a quick, wry lesson on how speed can lead to a long day of failure.
For your book club
- How do these stories differentiate the roles of men and women in early agricultural life?
- In what ways do the 'Christianized' stories differ in tone from the Tinguian creation myths?
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